A Very Fine Line
by Lunar Nexus
Summary: Regulus Black during his hogwarts years and much later, after he survives the inferi and goes into hiding. Saying much more would give far too much away, so you shall have to wait.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this chapter. They are the property of JK Rowling.

He sighed as he woke up, staring at the ceiling thrigh a gap in in the curtains. Sweeping his soft dark hair out of his eyes and got up. Only then did he realize what day it was. Regulus Black was going back to Hogwarts at last! This summer had seemed to last forever. As he dressed and went to run downstairs, Sirius came out, pushed him back into the door and went first, laughing. Regulus went after him, pushing him a bit on the stairs. When they got down to breakfast, Sirius stole a bit of bacon from his plate and laughed as Regulus shouted for it back, even as Sirius put the last piece in his mouth.

"Sirius, give him two pieces of yours now," his mother snapped. He pouted and kind of tossed two pieces onto Regulus' plate.

A few minutes later, Regulus reached over and stole a piece of toast off of Sirius' plate. "Hey!" Sirius said, but Mrs. Black seemed not to have noticed, or was too interested in her food to pay them any mind. Sirius scowled and went back to his food.

An hour later they were at the door, ready to go. Regulus had his trunk and owl at the door and was talking to Kreacher about how to clean his room whilst he was away at school. Kreacher, who loved his Master Regulus very much, was nodding as he avidly listened to the boy go on about what went where and how others were organized.

"Kreacher, go away, you filthy beast!" Sirius said as he came down the stairs. "And go get my trunk." He crossed his arms and smirked as the house elf bowed, said "Yes Master Sirius," and, with a crack disapparated to do his bidding. When Kreacher reappeared moments later, he was holding onto Sirius' trunk. "Give me that, you disgusting thing," he scowled. "Now get out of my sight." The house elf then stalked away, grumbling all the while.

"That was mean," Regulus said quietly. Sirius laughed.

"Coming from my ssssslytherin brother?" He hissed quietly enough so taht his parents couldn't hear the remark. Although his cheeks turned a little pink, he retorted, "At least Mum and Dad love me more." It was just loud enough. Mr. Black ruffled the younger boy's hair. "Of course we do, son. Now lets be going, it's time to go off to school." They followed behind Mr. And Mrs. Black and as they head toward the apparating point, Sirius pushed Regulus to the side, showing his frustration.

As they reached the curb, they Disapparated, Sirius holding unnessecarily tight to Regulus' arm. They landed in King's Cross Station, next to the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 3/4.

Regulus let his mother kiss him goobye and his father ruffled his hair.

"Off you go, sweetie, we'll send you letters everyday." He smiled at them and then ran of while Sirius slumped off with his stuff and his parents put Regulus' things in the compartment.

Regulus sat in his compartment and looked out at all of the kids getting on the train. There were so many different ages. He was going into his fifth year, while Sirius was starting his sixth. They were both dreading this year, as Regulus was starting OWL's and Sirius was going into NEWT level classes.

Trent Sithgrim knocked once on the window as he stepped inside of the compartment, tossing himself down on the seat opposite Regulus.

Good summer?" He said, drawling slightly. Regulus shrugged.

"It was alright," he said, smirking slightly. "Yours?" Trent shrugged as well.

"Not bad. Got a new broom," he said offhandedly, as if this was not an unlikely thing to happen. Indeed, Regulus doubted it would be hard for Trent to convince his parents to get him whatever he wanted. Trent's family was almost more wealthy than Regulus'.

"I got a new watch and a new broom," Regulus said with a smirk. Trent scoffed but with a laugh. For a moment, Regulus frowned. "Sirius didn't get anything over break... He was really mad," he said, almost to himself. He could remember Sirius' face clearly in his mind. His gaze was stone cold and far away as Regulus opened his presents. Sirius' knuckles were white on the arms of the chair as the older boy watched Regulus get praise from their parents, listening to them tell the younger boy how much they loved him. He hadn't said a word... but his message couldn't have been more clear: He hatd the lot of them.

Sirius didn't know it, but Regulus very much looked up to his brother, loved him, in fact. He didn't think there was any greater person in the world to have as a brother. Sure, they fought, but until this summer he was sure it was just in good fun. Now he was sure it was more, and inside it felt like his stomach was being twisted over and over.

"Regulus!" Trent was saying, waving his hand in front of the other's glazed green eyes. Regulus started with a, "huh?" and sat up. "I said, 'so what?'" Trent repeated impatiently. Regulus swallowed once to stop the lump in his throat from choking him.

"I mean he's still my brother," Regulus said, shrugging. "They could have gotten him something. Like last year they got him a new wand... But that's because his broke..." He shook his head. "Nevermind," he said, seeing that Trent was no longer interested. He usually wasn't unless it included a competition of some sort. As the train began to move, the door to their compartment slid open and Severus Snape stepped in. Regulus waved vaguely at him as sat back. Severus was in Sirius' year, but they were in different houses and definitely didn't get along. Severus sat down and took out a book with a tattered cover. It was obviously a second-hand book, but neither boy said anything. He might not be wealthy, but Severus had great ideas, almost a genius, really. Sometimes they teased him about whether the Sorting Hat made a mistake and should have put him in Ravenclaw, but Severus would just laugh and shrug it off. Regulus didn't ask how Severus' summer was. He knew his home life was rubbish as far as you could see, so they never talked about it.

The train was soon zipping past fields of green and little towns here and there. The trolley came around and Regulus brought them all a round of sweets to eat for the rest of the ride.

Sooner than if felt, they arrived at Hogwarts. As they neared the castle, Regulus remembered his first year with fond memories. How he'd felt when the Hat had put him in Slytherin. Tainting this particular memory was Sirius' face, the look of disdain, the way he'd turned away from him. But still he had loved his brother, not understanding the things that seperated them. He smiled now as he remembered seeing the Slytherin dormitory for the first time. Greenish lamps gave the room the feel of being underwater. Ahead of them was a great fireplace in which a fire was roaring. Above it was a crest of the Slytherin snake.

Regulus had met Trent that very day, their beds were right next to each other. They'd hit it off right away. After that they were inseprable as two young boys could be.

They hustled to the carriages, as it had begun to rain. Once inside, Regulus shook his hair out, Severus scowling as the water splattered onto his book. Regulus just laughed as Severus tried to dry it with magic.

It wasn't long before they got into the castle, and seated at their house tables. Severus sat with his book open on the table, reading, while Regulus and Trent watched the first years getting sorted into the four houses.

Too soon, the feast came and went, and afterward Regulus was thoroughly stuffed with all of his favorite foods and desserts.

Dumbledore soon sent them off to their dormitories with his usual strange speech, and Regulus was relieved. He was suddenly very sleepy, and was eager to get into his warm bed. When they got there, his things had already brought up and he quickly changed into his pajamas.

He curled up under his green covers, letting his weary eyes shut. His hand rested under his pillow atop his very old and battered copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard... On the inside cover w as the inscription, In the hopes that you will always seek to do what is right. -Love, your big brother, Sirius.

Author's Note: Okay, I know that the text is a little messed up, but believe me, I'm working on it. Anyway, I hope you all like this. It's been quite the hassle getting it up finally. Please read and give me some feedback by reviewing, that would be fantastic.  
>If you are waiting for the next chapter, I advise going to my best friend, A-Girl-Named-Billy's page and reading Light. It's a fanfiction written in somewhat same style. It is about Draco in his 6th and 7th years at Hogwarts, and an OC that will appear later in my own fan fiction. As I said, if you are waiting for a chapter to be added to this, go read hers. Reviews greatly appreciated by both of us! <p>


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Trent Sithgrim, Drake McKinnan, and the red head. All others belong to the lovely JK Rowling.

Quidditch pracitce started sooner than Regulus felt, and the captain, Drake McKinnan, was working them hard, especially him. Regulus was the Slytherin seeker, and McKinnan was determined to do anything to win against Gryffindor this year, even, Regulus was convinced, if it killed them all.

Of course, on top of quidditch practice, his classes were harder than ever. He had begun taking Ancient Runes, Advanced Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures as his electives. The last two were alright, as he was quite a natural at both. Ancient Runes was, however, much more difficult than he had initially anticipated. He frequently stayed up late, mostly with Severus for company, and finished his studies while everyone slept warmly in their beds. This was with the result that they had many meaningful conversations about the current goings on about the world.

A dark wizard by the name of Voldemort was gaining power, followers called Death Eaters. Voldemort was behind a movement to "cleanse the world" so to speak, taking a very "slytherin-esque" view of things. Severus stated one very late night that he was set on joining. Regulus thought hard about this. He thought he might want to join as well. He thought that the idea that there was someone who wanted to purify the wizarding race seemed a desirable goal. There were many pros, Regulus thought, although there were the cons...

The only flaw here was that Regulus questioned the motives of Voldemort. As such, he could not make up his mind about whether to join or not. Still, the idea that Severus was determined to join was a very big influence on the younger boy.

One morning he was walking out of Ancient Runes and a girl in Gryffindor robes knocked him clear to the floor while in a rush to get out of the room, sending his books scattering to the floor around him. He was about to make a retort when she turned toward him. Her eyes were blue, with her ginger hair framing them perfectly. It very nearly took his breath away. She hesitated, then offered her hand. He looked at it for a moment, then allowed her to help him up. There was a moment when she was nearly touching him. He could almost feel her soft breathing against his shirt, could sense every small movement she made. He looked down into her soft lengths of hair, and could smell her sweet shampoo. Then he mumbled a soft "thanks" after a hurried "sorry" from her. Then she swept down the hall, Regulus' eyes trailing after her curtains of red hair.

He shook himself and reminded himself he needed to get to Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Kettleburn was teaching them about Pheonixes today, and Regulus didn't want to miss a second. He hurried down to the grounds where classes were held. It was just a short stretch of grass with a sort of ring to keep any animals in that would be shown in class.

When he got there, Professor Kettleburn wasn't quite there yet. Trent was in this class and so for the next couple of minutes they were laughing and talking about whatever had happened the other day. Finally, Professor Kettleburn was seen heading toward the ring, a giant red bird on his remaining arm. He walked with a slight limp, as his fake magical legs were not quite the same length. With him was a girl... It was the red head from Ancient Runes! For a moment he wasn't sure what to look at, the bird or the girl, but finally his eyes settled on the bird. The girl probably didn't even want anything to do with him...

"This," Professor Kettleburn said, a little dramatically, "is a pheonix!" The girl joined the group, standing rather close to the edge, as if she also couldn't wait for the lesson. Regulus stepped forward, but Trent caught his arm and he fell back again.

"I want a good look at it," Regulus said, as way of explanation. Trent scoffed, but allowed them to move closer to the great bird.

"This is Professor Dumbledore's pheonix, Fawkes. He's lent him to me so I could show you. As you might see, Fawkes' feathers are looking rough and singed, like he is quite old. He is getting ready for a burning day." Professor Kettleburn placed Fawkes on his perch and stepped back, gesturing for them all to watch. Regulus hadn't noticed the perch before, but figured the girl must have brought it. Fawkes cooed softly, and then Regulus noticed that the tips of his wings had caught fire. Instinctively, Regulus moved forward, then stopped himself. These birds caught fire when they were ready to die, and were then reborn from the ashes as a new baby bird. As the last of the ash fell to the tray designed for such a thing, Regulus took a few steps closer to it. The girl was next to him and turned to look at him as he watched the ashes begin to stir and a small infant pheonix emerge from them. Tears made his eyes sparkle at the simple beauty of the majestic creature as it let out the most beautiful cry he'd ever heard in his life.

Professor Kettleburn motioned to him that he could touch Fawkes if he wanted. Regulus reached out a hand and very gently dusted some of the ash off of its tiny head. It chirped softly in response, moving into his fingers. Regulus was amazed how such a simple beauty could hold him so captive.

Remembering where he was, he blinked and stepped back from the perch and from the bird... But from that moment on, things were different. He would never forget what that bird did to him, how it had affected him so...

Author's Note: Well, things are getting underway finally. The last chapter was more of an introduction to Regulus' character than a chapter, but now this chapter makes it that much better. Pay attention to phoenixes, friends, they are going to be relavent. As always, please leave me feedback in the form of reviews, and as you wait for new chapters, go read A-Girl-Named-Billy's fanfiction Light. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters other than Trent, Asha (the character in the main story), and I think that's it for now. All others belong to Queen JK Rowling.

The Saturday of the next Hogsmeade visit dawned sunny and just warm enough. Trent wasn't going, as he'd come down with a cold, so he was staying in the dormitory. Regulus headed out by himself and while heading up to the village he saw a familiar flash of red hair... She was by herself, which was a great relief to him. He swallowed that accurses lump in his throat and then cleared his throat softly as he came up next to her. She looked at him, evidently confused by his attentions.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm Regulus, the guy you knocked over?" he said, almost a question. Comprehension dawned on her beautiful, flawless face as she looked at him a little harder.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Her face was tinged pink; she was very clearly embarassed by this memory. "I was having such a bad day and I had to go help Professor Kettleburn... He couldn't exactly carry Fawkes and the perch, so he asked me if I would help him..." She then shut her mouth as if she thought she was talking far too much. Secretly, Regulus wished that she would talk more. She had such a pretty voice. "I'm... Asha," she said softly. She seemed embarassed about her name.

"Like from Fountain of Fair Fortune?" he asked automatically, then looked away. She looked surprised, even impressed, at him.

"Yeah," she said, obviously happy that someone got it. "I mean I know it's a popular kid's story, but you'd be surprised just how many people think I just have a really weird name." Regulus laughed and shook his head.

"No, I still read them," he explained. "They're my favorite and I think they can tell us something about how we should all act." Soon they came to the village road. "Would you... would you like to have a drink at the Three Broomsticks?" He didn't know how she would react to this. After all, he was a Slytherin... Asha studied his anxious face for what seemed like forever to Regulus, and then nodded with a small smile on her pretty face.

"Sure," she said, seeming genuinely glad to have the opportunity to get to know him. He grinned and they started toward the three broomsticks. People might have stared at them as they went, but neither one noticed. They were far too immersed in conversation to pay any mind to anyone else.

When they got to the Three Broomsticks, he opened the door for her, allowing her to go into the room before him. He thought that pulling her chair out for her would be a bit much, so he settled for going to get their drinks while she picked a table. When he came back, he put her drink in front of her, then sat down across from her.

"Wait, you're the Slytherin seeker, aren't you?" she asked. He laughed and took a drink from his butterbeer.

"Yeah," he told her. "Do you watch international?" he asked curiously.

"Of course!" she said. She then launched into why Ireland was going to win this world cup for sure. The way she told it, the Ireland seeker was the best there was. Then she blushed after going on about him, and said, 'Not... not that you're bad..." He shrugged it off.

"Sure, but I mean, I'm not a professional," he said, then took another drink. There were a few long moments of silence. He kept seaking glances at her, only to find that she was gazing interestedly at him. "What?" he finally had to ask.

"You're... not what I expected." He tilted his head slightly, curious as to what she meant by that. She laughed, a little nervously. "Not what I expected... from a Slytherin..." Regulus shifted in his chair, feeling an unexplicable need to defend himself.

"My whole family was... in Slytherin," he said quietly, unsure of how she would feel about this, softly cautious with his tone.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like-" she said quickly, but he put up his hand without offense.

"No, it's not that," he started. "It's just... I think people have the wrong idea about Slytherin hous because the students who usually get sorted into it let it get like that... Sure, we're about purity and pure bloods, but most of us aren't... killers..." he frowned, his words not really coming out the way he was wanting them to. When he looked up at her from the spot he'd been staring at, however, he found she looked only interested in what he was saying. She claerly hadn't assumed these things, but knew others did. Finally she laughed and finished off her butterbeer.

"You know... You're alright," she said. He smiled at her over his own glass.

Over then next couple of weeks they got to know each other, often getting called out in class for laughing at some secret joke or just talking. It turned out they had not only Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures together, but Astonomy, Potions, History of Magic, and Defense Against The Dark Arts, too.

In History of Magic, as Binns droned on and on, Asha and Regulus passed notes and giggled. By Halloween they had gotten no less than twelve detentions, in less than five weeks.

On Halloween, they got out of detention and headed to the Great Hall. He had his arm draped lazily over her shoulder, making some joke. She laughed as they got to the doors. He lifted his arm from her shoulder and they went to their own tables. Halfway through the feast, however, Regulus was very bored. He looked across the hall and saw Asha leaning on her hand. He caught her eye and smiled. He jerked his head toward the door, a clear inquiry into whether she wanted to skip out. She smiled, nodded, and indicated that he should go first. He went to get up, but Trent caught his arm.

"Oy, where are you going? You've been flaking out on me lately." Regulus shrugged him off and headed out into the Entrance Hall.

Once Asha joined him, he asked "Where should we go?" They were heading toward the staircase, Asha smiling now.

"On Halloween? Let's go up to the Astronomy Tower." So they headed to the stairs that would lead them to the tallest of the towers. Once they were there, they laid on their backs on the cusions that were there. It was the perfect Halloween night. There were a few clouds, whispy things, just glazing over the full moon. "It's so beautiful isn't it?" she said quietly into the star filled sky.

"Yeah," he admitted, staring almost straight into the full moon. She laughed softly, and Regulus was strangely reminded of windchimed in the summer.

They stared up at the stars while the moon rose higher and higher in the sky. After a long time, Asha pointed up at the stars and said, "Look, there's you." She was pointed to the constellation, Leo, at the brightest star. Regulus smiled, looking fondly at the star.

After a little while, as the moon was at its peak, Regulus got up and looked over at the five year old whomping willow. Just as he could swear he saw three large shadows, a long, high pitched howl took over the night.

Asha got up then, but try as they might, neither she nor Regulus could locate the source of the sound in the dark night. They stood looking over the grounds, Asha's head on Regulus' shoulder.

"I wonder if all the secrets of this castle will ever be revealed..." she said softly. Regulus wondered what she meant, but didn't want to ask. The moment seemed far too perfect to ruin with his clumsy words.

Author's Note:  
>Okay, so I'm particularly fond of this, because it hints at something later. But you will have to wait and find out. I particularly like the way that Asha is acting, since she's showing quite the fondness for Regulus now. Anyway, as always, please read and leave feedback, review style, because I would very much appreciated it. Thanks! <p>


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Most characters I do not own. JK Rowling owns most of these characters, except for mentioned in previous chapters. The Snitch Hall is my own creation, is NOT the Room of Requirement.

By the time Regulus got back to the common room, even Severus was in bed. As he lay in bed, drifting to sleep, he thought about the way she'd pointed out the star he was named after, and just how much thought must have gone into that. They hadn't learned about star signs quite yet in Astronomy...

Regulus woke to Trent punching him in the chest. "Oy!" he yelled, holding up his hands to defend himself.

"Black, you're always flaking out on me! What's gotten into you, huh?" Trent was yelling at him.

"You never want to do anything!" Regulus accused. "I can't wait around waiting for you to want to do something!" Trent scoffed, turning around.

"If you say so," he said bitterly, walking out of the dormitory. Regulus sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Just when life was getting a little easier for him...

November seemed to pass without Regulus' notice, and soon snow blanketed the whole castle. Trent was no longer speaking to him, but as he was always hanging out with Asha, it didn't bother him much. Besides, quidditch practice was eating up most of his other time, so he was kept pretty busy at all times.

One day after practice, he was walking through the trophy room, vaguely wondering where all of the snitches that were caught during the matches went, when he saw a portrait. He was more than sure he had never seen it in his life, but there it was, plain as day. He looked closer at the person in the portrait. It was a girl in quidditch robes holding a very old model of a broomstick and a golden snitch. Regulus squinted at the portrait's caption: First Golden Snith Caught At Hogwarts, Roxanne Luck, 1371.

The girl in the portrait was holding the snitch out to the side, almost where a doorknob would go, were this a door. She gave him a smile and then Regulus noticed the snitch wasn't part of the portrait at all. He reached out and touched the snitch as if catching it between his fingers.

Regulus jumped back as the portrait began to swing open. His heart raced as he peered through the archway revealed by the portrait. Inside, however, was pitch black and he couldn't see a thing. Regulus took out and lit his want, then took a tentative step into the room. As soon as he did so, lanterns burst into life, lighting the room with a warm glow.

Regulus looked around, amazed. There were rows upon rows of small cases. Inside each, nestled in different colors of velvet, were the small golden snitches. As Regulus strolled down the rows, he started piecing it together. Each was a snitch caught at this school in each match ever played. He noticed that some were missing, possibly stolen off the pitch. James Potter, for instance, had on missing from last week. However, most of the snitches were there. Every case had a small plaque that stated the name of the person who caught it, the date the snitch was caught, how long it took, the end score, and which house the seeker was on. The color of the velvet, Regulus figured, depended on the house. For Gryffindor there was red, for Hufflepuff, yellow, Ravenclaw, blue, Slytherin, green.

The room was comfortable, Regulus thought, and he found a few fluffy armchairs. He figured he might come back sometime to study. He looked through the 19 hundreds and slid his fingers over the plaques, finding his own snitches that he'd caught. He smiled at them for a moment, then figured he had better go. He was, after all, very tired. He stepped back through the portrait door and headed down to the dungeons.

The next day, he went to the Great Hall to get Asha. She was eating breakfast when he came up to her, practically dancing on the balls of his feet to show her what he had found.

"C'mon, I've got something you should see," he said excitedly.

"Hold on, Regulus," she said with a laugh. "Let me finish my breakfast." She swallowed the last bit of her bacon, then got up. "Okay, where to?" He took her wrist gently and tugged her toward the trophy room. He only had to think of it and there was t he door. "Roxanne Luck... that was my... some great grandmother's name," Asha said, looking curiously at the portrait.

"Really?" Regulus asked. "So... how come you never tried out for your house quidditch team?" Asha shrugged.

"I don't really know," she admitted.

"Well I heard James switched to Chaser and there's nobody to take his place. They're holding tryouts, right?" She narrowed her eyes at him but nodded. "You should try out," he insisted. She smiled.

"Maybe I will. Then you'd r eally be in trouble. So is this all you wanted to show me?" she asked, gesturing at the portrait. He shook his head with a slight laugh. Of course this wasn't all he'd wanted to show her.

"No. Watch this, but step back." He reached out and touched t he snitch. The portrait door opened and Regulus walked in ahead so that the torches turned on. Asha walked in after him, looking around in wonder.

"So this is where they go," she mused, walking down the last, most recent row. "I always kind of wondered. I mean, since they have flesh memories, they can't really use them again, they don't work well enough for practice even. It's a good way to settle disputes and keep records, and things like that." As she spoke, Regulus smiled. He was always happiest when he was with her. So why couldn't he put what he felt into words? It was just so simple to be with her, he was comfortable. But what did that make them? Were they friends, or more than that? He couldn't ask, and he couldn't do anything to endanger this relationship...

It took him a moment to realize she had asked him a question. "What?"

"Should I really try out for seeker? I mean.. do you really think I'd be good?" Regulus smiled, almost started to laugh.

"Of course I do, Asha. In fact, I'd bet ten galleons no one could touch you in tryouts," he said encouragingly to her. She blushed a little, smiling.

"Thanks, Regulus. That means a lot, I mean it." She hugged hi and he held her gingerly until she pulled away. "You're... a good friend, she told him. She didn't know then that her words had dragged him down like an anchor in a heartbroken abyss.

Author's Note: Haha! And you thought I was going to make this easy. No. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter as well, it's definitely one of my favorites, in terms of content. And such a cliff hanger! I know, I'm so mean, right? Haha, stay tuned, and review! 


	5. Chapter 5

As it turned out, Asha was more than good at Quidditch. Just as Regulus had predicted, she blew the competition away, nobody could come even close. In the upcoming match, Asha won them the game, finishing up at a spectacular 290 points, Hufflepuff hanging their heads in defeat at a mere 70 points. She also beat Ravenclaw in a riveting match that they very nearly lost. At the last moment, though, she pulled a wicked feint, coming up with the golden snitch clutched in her hand.

She had flashed such a smile at Regulus that he had blushed, though of course she couldn't see it that far away. He still couldn't get those words she had spoken out of his head. "You're a good friend..." Every time he thought of it, he felt his heart break a little more. Why couldn't he have said something first? Told her how he felt...

But then there were times that he was glad he hadn't. She was clearly happy just being friends. If there were any hesitation in her words, it was definitely not because she cared more than that. Still, he could bear being in her presence most of the time. When it was too much for him, he would simply tell her that he wasn't feeling well, which was not far from the truth. It had a way of giving him a stomach ache that he just couldn't escape.

He told himself he should have known. She was too good for him, let alone that she was in Gryffindor. It was his brother who always got the girls, not him. He was just as handsome, by most standards, but girls just naturally were attracted to Sirius. He sighed as he headed to the Great Hall, the last day before he left to go home for the holidays. Sirius was telling some jokes to his group, which included James, Peter, and Remus. They glanced, laughing, over at Severus, and Regulus had to keep himself rooted to the spot. They were making fun of Severus again, and he knew just how much it hurt the older boy. He never talked about it, but... Something about Severus' way of acting afterward told him different.

Lily Evans was under James' arm, and he was laughing at Severus, but she seemed angry at him. Regulus though he could read her lips as she told him not to be so mean. She was different... Maybe Asha could be as different... He shook himself, and went back to the list of things he was taking home for Christmas. He needed to forget about Asha, at least in that way. They were from different worlds, the two of them. As cliche as it sounded, Regulus couldn't describe it in any other way. She was probably from a family that were either unpure or blood traitors, whereas his own family very much looked down on people like that.

No, it wouldn't work, he told himself over and over. He resigned himself back to his list. He wished he didn't have to know. He wished sometimes that he hadn't taken her there, had never convinced her to become a seeker, because then those horrible, nearly evil words would never have escaped her beautiful - and, god, were they ever- lips. But then he would realize that no... he didn't wish that at all, since then he never would have seen her fly.

Regulus could swear that when she flew she was some kind of saint of the wind. She looked so comfortable up there, riding the broom like she'd done it for all her life, which she hadn't, as he had asked. In fact, she had said that before her first year she hadn't ridden a broom more than thrice in her life, and that at first she had been terrified. However, she had worked hard at it since, deciding that she wouldn't let it be a weakness.

Regulus found himself staring down at his paper, realizing he'd read it over fifteen times without actually taking in what the words said. Finally he decided that anything he missed was unimportant and went to get up. He nearly bowled into Asha, who had been about to touch his shoulder.

"Sorry!" she said, stepping back slightly. "I just wanted... to kind of... Ugh. Now I forgot what I was going to say..." she said, her brow furrowing rather harshly. Regulus thought she ought to straighten out her face, that she looked prettier that way, but didn't say anything. She looked beautiful no matter what to Regulus. "Anyway, I'm going to miss you over the holidays," she said, smiling directly up at him. There wasn't a single trace of a blush on her pale cheeks. He smiled back.

"I'm gonna miss you too," he said softly, almost unfeeling. He hated to admit it, but he had gotten cold with her, short, and detatched. He hated it, but he couldn't help it. She seemed to notice something now, though she hadn't before.

"Regulus... Is something bothering you?" she asked, gazing up at him. He stared back down at her, unanswering. "Because... you've been acting kind of... strange lately..." She kind of half laughed, but he could hear the lack of amusement in it. He frowned.

"Nah, just had a lot on my mind," he said, pulling his lip into a half smile. He knew she didn't buy it... but doubted she cared enough to bring it up much more.

"Okay..." she said, running a hand through her silky red hair. He longed to run his fingers through it, to nestle his hair next to her ear and smell the scent of her shampoo, but he swallowed the lump in his throat, as always, and looked back at her. Her gaze pierced his as she looked back. This wasn't over, and he knew it. She didn't care to bring it up right now, but she wasn't forgetting this, Regulus thought.

"Good job in last week's match, again," he said, slightly awkwardly. "I still can't believe you feinted like that." This time her cheeks turned pink, bordering on red.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, looking down at her shoes. "I didn't really know what I was doing... I could have crashed. The captain was yelling at me afterward, even though I won us the game..." Regulus wanted to hug her, but thought better of it. "Anyway, I'll see you later, okay? I have to go pack some more." She walked away, throwing her hand up in a simple wave, heading out of the Great Hall.

The next day they were on the train home and Regulus knew that Asha was going to sit with him. He didn't know how he was going to stomach the ride home, but he knew he would do everything he could. It just wasn't fair, he thought to himself, that she didn't even have to care and she could just... go on about her ride home as if nothing was wrong, because for her, he reasoned, there wasn't...

He sat down in his own seat and she sat opposite him, smiling vaguely, but not at him. She was gazing out the window. Regulus wondered if it was a fixed smile, it rather seemed so. She was very talented at hiding her feelings from anyone, though he did seem to have a knack for reading her. At least... he used to. These days he could hardly tell anything about her. She was full of surprises, but it was part of what he loved about her.

"So Mum and Dad want to go to France over break, but they weren't sure when I talked to them," Asha said softly. "I don't think we're going. I kind of just want to stay home for the holidays, take it easy, you know?" Regulus nodded vaguely, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah, my parents wanted to make a big deal out of break too, but I dont' get it. What's the point in going someplace for a few weeks and then coming back to be exaughsted just in time to go back to school." Regulus shook his head. "Nah, I don't want to go anywhere over break." She leaned forward and handed him a piece of folded up paper.

"This is my address, send me letters, okay?" she said, almost softly, as she looked him in the eye. Her fixed smile was gone and her eyes were sparkling slightly. Before Regulus could pinpoint this particular look, however, she blinked and the smile was back and the sparkle was gone. Her beautiful red scops owl hooted softly, as if in anticipation for the letters he would deliver for her owner. Regulus' small snowy owl hooted too, almost sounding like a response.

Rather soon the treat trolley rolled around and Regulus bought them both a set of sweets to occupy their time. This was partially so that he had the excuse that his mouth was full and that it was rude to talk with one's mouth full. He seemed to see questions on her face all the time now, as if she were on the verge of asking him some very important question he did not want to answer. So he always made up some excuse to not be able to talk to her then. Today, however, didn't seem to be one of those days. He gaze was far away, out the window, as she popped a chocolate frog, still wiggling slightly, into her mouth.

Regulus chastised himself as he thought of the frog passing those beautiful lips, told him she didn't want to kiss him, didn't like him like that. His heart began to ache with the words that had somehow, somewhere along the line, become his mantra. He excused himself for a bit of air and went to find an empty compartment where he could think.

When he returned to sit with Asha, he was a little more relaxed, but still aching in his heart. Why can't she love me? he asked himself bitterly. I'm good enough... "I'm good enough..." He realized to late that the words had come out of his mouth. His eyes darted to look at Asha and she was paying little attention to him. He thought he dodged the bullet when he could swear he heard her say, "I know you are..."

"Pardon?" he said, looking straight at her. There was that smile again...

"What?" she asked as though this conversation was a surprise to her. "I didn't say anything," she said sweetly, perhaps too sweetly. He shook his head.

"Nevermind." He could have punched himself. What was he thinking? He was imagining things, he was going mental. He'd probably end up in Saint Mungo's at this rate. He bit rather hard into a liquorish wand and sat back in his seat, staring at the ceiling of his compartment. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't he get over her and realize there was no hope for them?

As the train pulled into King's Cross Station, he and Asha got up from their seats. She smiled at Regulus, who was sure this smile was the most beautiful he'd ever seen. Then she did something he had hardly expected.

Asha wrapped her arms around Regulus, and he hugged her back, intending to stay there for only a moment. Then Regulus was sure he was imagining things. She tightened her grip slightly around his middle as if she didn't want to let go, buried her face in his shirt and said, "I'm going to miss you..." She stood for a moment longer and then stepped away, her face clear, that odd, almost maybe fixed smile on her face. It was this look that made Regulus positive he'd imagined it. She had only stood there for a moment in his arms, enough for a goodbye hug. Really it was seconds, hardly even that. She was simply saying goodbye before the holidays. She hadn't even said that she was going to miss him. Of this Regulus was absolutely sure.

Author's Note: Okay, so you might be wondering what the hell I'm doing. Well I'll tell you... I'm making a plot! Yes, a plot, my friends. I know that many Fanfictions lack said spine, but mine is going to have a spine, honest. Ohhh, the places we'll go, the surprises that will take you off guard. Well, if you would, please read and review, especially my fans who have already reviewed previous chapters. Oh, and I'm terribly sorry for the wait, I've been super busy. Good day! 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own many of the characters in this fanfiction. The ones I do own as of yet are Trent, Asha, etc. Anybody that you are familiar with, I do not own, and are the sole property of Queen Rowling. Any new characters are mine.

As Regulus got off the train, a hand clasped around his own. He turned his head to find it was... Asha. His cheeks turned pink. She wasn't, however, looking at him. She was looking at something at a distance. He swallowed the lump in his throat yet again and pressed forward. Once they were out of the thick of the crowd, he turned to face her. She was still looking for someone, not looking at him. He tried to pull his hand away, but she held it fast in hers. Finally, she turned to him. "I... I don't see my parents yet... I just wanted another chance to say goodbye." She hugged him briefly and then smiled up at him. "I'll send you letters, alright?" she said. He nodded, pulling his hand from hers. "Bye," she said softly. Then she dissapeared into the crowd and he turned to see his family a little way away, looking for him. They hadn't seen him yet. He trotted over.

"Let's get your things, Regulus," Mrs. Black said. She sounded upset, tense in a way he'd never seen her. She didn't seem overly concerned, but still Regulus wondered what was going on. They got Regulus' trunk and owl, then started toward the apparating point.

"Mum, we have to wait for Sirius," he said, confused. They never left without Sirius, not for Christmas.

"He's not coming home," Mr. Black said, putting a hand on Regulus' shoulder and urging him forward.

"N-no!" Regulus said. "He's got to come home with us... It's-It's christmas!" Mrs. Black sighed.

"He's made his choice, Regulus... Let's go." She pushed him, a little roughly, to the apparating point. As they turned on the spot, Regulus' last glimpse was of Sirius laughing with the Potters...

Asha woke with a start. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and got up, pacing the room again. What was wrong with her? She couldn't sleep, she was having these... dreams. It always started and ended the same: With Regulus. More disturbing was that he always seemed to turn into a serpant, curling around her gently, still her Regulus but... something was changed. If it had only been a serpant, she would have understood. He was a Slytherin, of course she would dream of him turning into a serpant. That was the Slytherin symbol, after all.

But no... something was definitely wrong after he changed into a snake, though she couldn't put her finger on it. It always ended with him touching his nose to hers, looking deep in her eyes. In the dream she could always tell what he was feeling this way, but when she woke up, she couldn't remember what she had come up with. This was the most frustrating part, as she wanted to know, so badly, what he was feeling, and why it made him so different...

She walked over to the window and placed her hand on it. On her desk lay a stack of letters. She let her hand run over them as the dream faded from her mind. These letters... these confessions... She would never send them. She knew she couldn't. What would he think? He probably didn't like her like that, anyway. He was a Slytherin, after all, and she was a Gryffindor. She couldn't stop thinking about the way his dark hair fell just above his eyes, the way his pale green eyes watched her as she talked about something stupid. She smiled at the way that he laughd at what she said, even though she was sure he was just humoring her.

No, she could never send those letters, she thought as she gazed out the window onto the dimly lit street below. It would risk far too much. She'd already risked too much by hugging him like that, telling him that she'd miss him... She couldn't have been more obvious. She shook her head, her bangs brushing to the side again. Her cat, Naja, slinked up onto the desk, curling up carefully over the letters, almost confirming what Asha was thinking. It would definitely be a bad idea to send those letters. However, her Scops owl, Scarlet, hooted unhappily from her perch. She hadn't delivered enough letters to Regulus. Asha knew this, but she didn't know what else she could do. Every time she sat down to write a letter to Regulus, a confession of her love came from her quill.

In her frustration, she nearly punched the glass, then stopped in time to simply tap it softly with the side of her fist. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass. For a moment she allowed herself to close her eyes and imagine them together, holding hands and kissing... Then she snapped herself out of it. She couldn't be thinking like that. It was almost Christmas, almost Regulus' birthday. She would put her feelings into getting him a gift. She knew he liked quidditch, so perhaps she would get him something from the quidditch store. He would like that, she was sure.

It would be a couple of hours until her parents were up, yet. It was still dark, as it were, and there was no need to rush. However, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, so she sat down to concentrate on a perfectly normal letter to Regulus, devoid of her romantic feelings for him. Dawn was breaking just as she finished her letter to Regulus and tied it to Scarlet's leg. She kissed the top of the owl's small head and sent her out into the snow. Below, witches and wizards were just beginning their days and Asha could hear her parents starting to stir downstairs. She smiled softly as she got dressed and went downstairs. She kissed her father's cheek and hugged her mother.

"Morning," she said sweetly. "Mum, Dad, I was wondering if we could go to Diagon Alley. There are some things I want to get there." Her mother looked a little surprised but nodded.

"Sure sweetie, we can go just after breakfast," she told her. Asha smiled and sat down to eat. Once she finished, she quickly washed her dishes and got her shoes on.

Diagon Alley was rather crowded due to the holiday rush, but Asha finally made her way to the quidditch shop. Once there, she made her way along the shelves, her money jingling happily in her pocket. She decided against a broom polishing kit; he already had one. She had no doubt he also had the newest model of broom, even if it was coming out the next day, so she didn't even think about that. She found some goggles, however, that had a charm to deflect anything that could hinder his vision, so she picked those up and kept looking. She decided he needed new gloves, something a little fancier than the ones provided by the school. There were some really nice seeker gloves in the Slytherin Green color she loved so much on him. She took those as well, but still kept looking. She wasn't she what she was looking for, but she didn't feel like she'd found him the right gift just yet.

She walked right past the spinning mobiles of quidditch equipment, past the trinkets and collectibles, and went to the back where there were the coolest things. Here there were snitches you could buy, mostly for practice, as they were lacking the flesh memory, quaffles, bludges (in locked cases, of course), charmed items that made you better at the game (though these were, of course, prohibitted in a real match), extra gear for under the quidditch robes that kept you warm in the winter games, and more. This was also where most of the merchandise for the country teams was kept. There were things that you couldn't get anywhere else here. These included figurines of the quidditch players, shamrock decorations, and the like. Asha smiled at the Irish merchandise but walked past it. She had to find the perfect gift for Regulus. Her gaze swept over it for a moment, and then flickered back.

It was in the section with decorations for brooms. Most were abnoxious traveling decorations, too big and clunky for a quidditch match. But this... this would be perfect...

Regulus kicked his trunk. He couldn't believe that Sirius would do this! He picked up his copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard and threw it mercilessly across the room. It fell, somehow uninjured, to the floor. He left it there. If his brother didn't care about him, then he wasn't going to care about the book that used to mean so much to him, or the words of wisdom he otherwise would have listened to...

It was the beginning of January, his birthday was coming up, but he would be at Hogwarts for his birthday. Severus had sent an owl saying that he had joined the Death Eaters at last. Regulus frowned as he looked up and down the streets of Knocturn Alley. The dark shops were, for lack of a better word, bustling with people. Regulus made his way to Borgin and Burkes, a place that had been in this part of Knockturn Alley longer than anyone could remember. He slipped into the shop and stepped up to the counter. Borgin looked at him steadily, at his determined gaze, his Slytherin Crest, his green eyes. "Regulus Black," he said, recognizing his face. "How may I help you?" His voice was slow, like a snake slithering on the floor. Regulus nodded.

"Pur, ou Mort." Pure or Death. Regulus tried not to think of why this might be the password to join the Death Eaters. After all, Severus had joined, hadn't he? Regulus stepped into the back with Borgin, who introduced him to the men who would be giving him his mark...

Regulus walked out of Borgin and Burkes, his arm covered with his sleeve, and strolled somewhat casually down the street. The mark... was weird. It was as if it were alive on his arm, the way that it moved when it was looked at. It was as if he could feel it breathing against his skin... The men had assured him that this would go away. It was just that it was new. Soon it would only move when it was touched, and this would call for Voldemort. The men had also said that he would probably never even use this. It was only a precaution just in case something should be important enough.

He heard them joking that he would probably never make it to being important enough for the dark lord to pay and mind to anyway... He sighed as he got out into the street. He felt part of something important, something that would change the world.

When he got home he found something waiting for him. Sitting on his bed, next to a hooting red scops owl was a small package of things. He opened them to find that Asha had gotten him a pair of gloves and some goggles. He recognized the goggles at once. They were the charmed ones that he had planned on buying soon. He felt some pang of guilt that he wasn't yet sure what it was caused by...

Author's Note: Okay, so I was going to make this longer, then decided I would be nice and make it only as long as the others. Or I'm being mean, I don't know. Anyway, I hope you liked Asha's view of things, I just thought it would be easier than doing another Regulus pouting chapter. So in the next couple of chapters stuff's gonna go kind of fast, I think, so be ready. Also, as you're waiting for chapters, please go to A-Girl-Named-Billy's story, Light. It will help you later, I promise. Well, enjoy the chapter, and please give me feedback in the style of the reviews. Toodles!


End file.
